1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a web cam, and in particular, to a web cam that shows changes in the facial expression of a remote end user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to improve the add-on value of a web cam device, web cams have been designed to also function as an auto-tracking device such that a remote end user can always keep watch over the local end user. For example, Logitech's QuickCam® Orbit MP uses a similar technology, where such face-tracking or face-analyzing technologies have become quite familiar to those skilled in the art.
As another example, United States Pub. No. US2005/0044143 discloses a camera which captures still image, video, and/or audio data. Relevant information is then extracted from the captured data and analyzed. Known techniques such as face recognition, face tracking, and motion detection can be used for extracting and analyzing data. This information is then interpreted for instant messaging (IM) applications.
However, in the above-described applications, the information can only be used to update the status of the local end user or the remote end user (e.g., available, busy, on the phone, away from desk, etc.) on the IM application (software), but cannot show changes in the facial expressions of the remote end user directly from the local end web cam (i.e., the hardware) or the local end user directly from the remote end web cam (i.e., the hardware).